It Had To Be You
by LadyGwenMidas
Summary: Idea from Something Borrowed. He didn’t understand why, but after reading her report, he felt a profound jealously towards the nostrovite that had stolen this moment away from him. Jack/Gwen roleplay. What the 'real' Jack would have done differently;


"Gwen!" Jack shouted from his office. "For the last time; I need that report!"

"Almost done!" she shouted back. Why was it that on her first day back from her honeymoon he demanded that she write up the most conflicting and confusing event that transpired on her wedding day? It was driving her insane!

First of all, he hadn't even welcomed her back, or asked her how her trip had been. Secondly, he kept insisting on that damn report! Even though she had only been back for a mere two hours after arriving well, rather late. In fact, it was already late afternoon and the others were starting to pack up to leave for the day. Why didn't she just take the day off? Jack was hardly in a good mood and soon she'd be stuck with him, alone, while he thought of more reports she could finished or more than likely, start. What really irked her though, was how excited she had been to see him, and how he knew that she hadn't had time until now to write the report he was so insistent about.

After the first hour she had taken it to him.

"Gwen? Can I see you for a minute," he summoned.

"Yes," she replied meekly as she came into his office, hovering at the door.

"What is this?" he asked bluntly, holding up the report she had just given him.

"It's the report you asked for," she said slightly confused.

"I see maybe a half of a report, maybe even three-quarters. Where's the rest?" he demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"If you ever actually did any reports in the police, Gwen, you would know what I mean," he said harshly. "I need the details of _your_ experience, Gwen." he elaborated. "You're just telling me what we all witnessed," he paused. "What happened to you when you were alone?"

"I'm sorry, Jack, I'll finish it now," she said embarrassed and turned to leave.

"You're hiding something," he called after her.

_Shit_, she thought, stopping in her tracks to prepare an adequate response.

"Jack," Owen said, walking passed her and into his office. "Tosh and I are leaving."

Without waiting another second, she had taken this as her chance to leave.

She had taken all this time to write up two different versions, even though she knew there was only one she could give him, at least without being shouted at for more details, although that was probably going to be unavoidable.

It was the event which she regretted for all the wrong reasons; her encounter with the nostrovite in the form of Jack.

The first version (or the short version, more specifically) basically went like this... "Jack, the nostrovite, entered the room, we talked, and then it transformed and tried to attack me. Owen and Rhys entered the room and we fought it off and then Rhys and I ran."

The long version, however, spared no detail, as she remembered it perfectly. Not only what was said and done, but how she felt, and although she had not been subjective in writing it down, her thoughts were reeling.

Fortunately for her it was late now, as she had no intention of sticking around. Closing her eyes and holding her breath, she printed off 'the long version' and breathed out, quickly stapling it together and gathering up her things.

Once she was ready to leave, she walked to his office to hand him the report.

She didn't bother knocking when she reached the door. Jack's head was buried in another report when she walked up to him placing the report on his desk. To his surprise she didn't say a word as she turned to leave, even though he noticed she had all her things ready to go home.

"Gwen," he said. She froze in the doorway, naively thinking he hadn't noticed her come in. She turned to face his full, undivided attentions. "What's this?" he asked holding up her report.

_Was he serious?_ She though. "It's the rest of that report you wanted."

"Great," he said. "Take a seat, I'll read it now."

"Actually, it's getting late I should really-"

"Sit," he said sternly, pointing to the chair on the other side of his desk.

She inwardly swore at herself repeatedly as she sat down across from him.

_She looks uncomfortable_, Jack thought, however, little did he know what he was about to find out.

She looked shyly away as he began to read, fidgeting as she waited painfully for him to finish. Had she actually been looking at him she would have seen the emotions that were displayed openly on his face.

Long after he was finished he continued to read over it as if it were really him, when he suddenly realised that Gwen was waiting.

Smirking behind the paper, he put the report down to look at her. Soon enough she started to blush when she realised he was still silently staring at her.

When she couldn't take the silence any longer, she spoke. "So can I go now?" she said glancing at him. At least he didn't seem angry with her anymore.

"I'm confused," he stated, completely ignoring her question.

She was certain he hadn't even heard her. "What about?" she asked quickly, desperate to get this interrogation over with.

Seemingly out of nowhere, he stood up and walked around to her, pulling out her chair in a gesture which urged her to stand with him.

As she turned to face him, he walked over to the door and closed it.

"So I walk in," he began, walking over to her and firmly turning her around so that he stood behind her, hands possessively on her shoulders pressing her body against his, "you're standing in front of a full length mirror, looking at your dress which has been ruined. You're upset," he said softly, slowly unravelling her emotions.

Her breathing turned shallow, her heart rate accelerating by fifty beats per minute as she realised firstly, that she was trapped and secondly, that he was re-acting the event that he should have been a part of all along and now was.

"Well," she said breathlessly, "I'd given up on things going to plan."

He smiled against her ear. "If life always turned out the way we expected, what would be the point of living?"

She paused, knowing the script by heart and what she said next...she couldn't.

"It wasn't you," she said decidedly.

"It is now," he fought back, tracing his lips over her ear in encouragement.

"Jack," she gasped, "I never expected to meet someone like you," she said dreamily, "but I'm married now."

Jack sighed, but continued despite himself. "You'll always be Gwen Cooper to me," he whispered. He didn't understand why, but after reading her report, he felt a profound jealously towards the nostrovite that had stolen this moment away from him.

"Jack, don't," she said, however, her voice betrayed her as his hands moved further down her body until strong arms were wrapped securely around her waist.

"That wasn't in the script," he said as he began to kiss her neck.

She moaned and relaxed against him. "You weren't meant to be in the script," she replied.

"It was never in our control, Gwen," he said seductively.

"Our?" she asked playfully.

He smiled against her skin. "You're not the only one who met somebody that knocked their world out of kilter," he quoted.

She chose then to turn and face him so she could escape the hold he had over her. However, she hadn't taken into account the equally powerful hold that his eyes held.

His arms stayed firmly around her as she suddenly spun in his arms, her hands grasping his shoulders as she realised how close they were.

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded, her eyes tactfully closed.

"It should have been me," he replied saddened.

"Jack, you don't know how much I wanted it to be you, but it's too late now," she begged.

"If only I knew, Gwen," he said spitefully.

She looked up at him then, surprised by his certainty given all the chances he'd already had and chosen not to act on.

"And what would you have done differently?" she demanded.

"This," he replied sternly, and crashed his lips into hers passionately.

His hands came up to hold her head in place as she parted her lips for him and he savoured as much of her as he could, putting all the longing and desire he felt for her into that one kiss.

She reacted quickly, her hands moving down his body and over his toned stomach (something that she'd always wanted to do) before pulling him closer, her hands wandering down his back and clenching his tight arse.

The kiss became frantic, so desperate, in fact, that it became almost impossible to stop. _Almost_.

When they both pulled back briefly, Gwen pushed herself away from him and turned away.

"I need to know," she began breathlessly, "would you have let me go through with it...if you knew?"

For the longest time, the only sound was their laboured breathing. She turned around to watch him as she waited for an answer; but he seemed decided. There was no conflict behind his eyes.

There was only one thing he wanted to say right now, but had it been her wedding day he knew...

"Yes," he replied.

...that he would have done no different.

She tried so hard to fight them, but as the hot tears formed in her eyes she simply let them fall; because although she didn't want to hear it, she knew it was the truth. He would never commit to her, and so once again he had stood aside for the one person who would, who had.

As she picked up her things to leave, he spoke again. "Gwen, it doesn't mean that I don't..." he paused, unable to say it out loud.

"_He's_ not afraid to tell me he loves me," she said bitterly.

"Gwen, wait," he grabbed her by the arm as she went to move passed him. "I want to be with you," he said honestly, "but how could I have told you that on your wedding day?"

"And you think its better that you're telling me now?" she shouted.

"You told me!" he shouted back. "You could have lied, but deep down you wanted this. Why else would you have written that report, said those things on your wedding day! If you didn't love me?" She pulled away but he pinned her back against the wall. "You knew how you felt then, and don't even try to deny you didn't know how I felt about you. We're both responsible!"

After he had calmed down, he tried again, painfully realising he had frightened her. "Look, I know I'm no good at this, I'm an idiot when it comes to you, Gwen," he said, fear seeping through his normally smooth voice. "If you want me to, I'll say it."

"You wouldn't mean it," she retaliated. "How could you if you stood by and let me marry another man."

"Because, I love you, Gwen," he almost shouted. "I would do anything for you, including letting you go. Wasn't that what you wanted?" he asked desperately.

She was silent as she took everything in. "You should have stopped me," she whispered, barely audible. "If only it had been you." And then she left his office to go home to the man she married, leaving behind the man who loved her so much that he gave her up. All this time, it had to be him, but neither of them saw it until it was too late.


End file.
